Hurricane Joaquin is bearing down on the Bahamas as a major category three storm that is forecasted to strengthen, possibly being upgraded to a category four hurricane.

Spinning in the Atlantic, forecasters are unsure of the direct path the storm will take,
but widespread damage is expected.

If you lived in the southeastern region of North Carolina during the mid-90s, you remember the extensive destruction caused by Hurricanes Bertha and Fran – downed trees and power lines, weeks without electricity or running water, inland flooding caused by storm surge and rainwater, and a massive cleanup effort.Fast forward to October 2015 and take note of the projected path of Hurricane Joaquin. Forecast models are showing that the hurricane will most likely wind up the coast, affecting the majority of the eastern seaboard.

Remember Hurricane Sandy? Could this be another superstorm?

One thing is certain – expect to see long lines in the grocery stores as people stock up on necessities to prepare. But in the midst of the frenzy and panic to prect tangible items, such as homes, vehicles, and personal possessions, many people forget to ensure the security of their intangible, yet extremely valuable data that is stored online or on a hard drive.

Planning for an IT disaster is imperative during today’s era of technological reliance. Damage caused by inclement weather has the potential to wipe out your entire network infrastructure. Your server could unexpectedly crash, your equipment could be fried by flood waters or even a lightning strike. It has happened more often than you would expect in the past, and as more people are relying on Information Technology, the more often it will continue to occur.

We highly recommend that you verify that your IT data has been properly secured with redundant backups.Make sure your data backups are up to date! Do not simply rely on your server or cloud storage. You are going to want your critical data stored on multiple platforms. This safeguards your information and guarantees you will have access to it after the storm. While others are anxiously hunkering down, you will have peace of mind that your data is secure and reconcilable.

Do not put yourself or your data at risk. Have you ensured redundant backups to your data systems? If you would like guidance or assistance in proper IT disaster preparation, we are more than happy to guide you in the right direction, no matter what direction inclement weather takes.

At Impact Media, we take IT disaster recovery seriously. Our team of specialists has extensive knowledge in IT solutions. Check us out online or feel free to give us a call.

We have all been spoiled by the convenience, quality and price (or lack their of) with LogMeIn. For the past 10 years, LogMeIn has offered a free product that has helped users with basic remote access needs free of charge. Well that has all changed. LogMeIn has announced they are migrating all users to either closing their accounts or paying for them in some cases as cheap as $49 a year.

Should we be upset that such a great product and company are now simply asking to be paid for their service? I am not sure how to answer that question at this time but I do know that 1) LogMeIn is a great product and 2) I will start looking for an alternative today and finally 3) the sun will come up tomorrow.

Today Microsoft released a Beta for its new Suite of tools Office 365. This is an online only Suite of tools that includes Exchange, Office, SharePoint & Lync Server and a few other web based productivity tools. Along with this release Microsoft Office 365 Marketplace, which is an online store where apps and add-ons can be purchased from Microsoft and their partners.

The Amazing Part of this is that Microsoft is setting its pricepoint @ $6.00/month. I am sure this is where it starts, and where it stops is any one’s guess, but all of these tools would be available in the Cloud, which means that they would be accessible from anywhere you have an internet connection, which gives these tools some great application for the money and makes them very convenient.

Another thing to consider with Cloud Computing is that when you are considering setting up an Exchange Server locally on your Network, there is a lot of upfront hardware costs, and then there are the ongoing maintenance costs associated with computer repair and networking. With Cloud Computing, you leave the liability to Microsoft in this instance, and just factor in the monthly expense as an expected cost of doing business.

If you would like to learn more about Cloud Computing, Computer Networking or would like an overall assessment of your businesses network, Impact Media Solutions will perform a thorough assessment and provide you with a report on what we find on your network. We also offer Computer Repair, we are a Full Service IT Company in Wilmington, NC!

In case you did not know Impact Media Solutions also offers Computer Repair and Computer Network services in and around Wilmington, NC. We have a certified staff of trained technicians that are up on the latest technologies be it Microsoft, Mac or Linux Servers or Desktops and securely configure them to your specific needs. With our diverse knowledge of the Web and Networking we are able to create dynamic scalable solutions that fit your company’s needs today that allow for growth tomorrow. We can assist your company with any sized computer need. If you would like a free site evaluation of your network or to setup a Security Audit contact us today for more information!